chuckography

A very full birthDAY celebration.

You start a full day of birthday celebration with a hearty meal.

Hyman's was an easy choice because they are wise enough to send a birthday greeting - along with a free meal coupon.

Owner Eli Hyman told me years ago that he targets locals.

Oh, the tourists have found the place, hence the crowds out front, but residents go there as well and take their visiting friends.

Many places sell crabcakes but those at Hyman's draw me back, again and again. And the shrimp and grits is done perfectly.

Coffee, boiled peanuts and hush puppies make a fine Southern appetizer.

Denny's also offers a free birthday meal but a Grand Slam would have meant an earlier start of the day.

So after a fine meal, and a little walkabout, we went to the Dock Street Theatre to watch the final dress rehearsal of a "new" opera that Spoleto unveils tonight.

New because although it was written 350 years ago, it was performed only twice. Yikes.

This is the third time for the 1652 opera and before a highly different audience than the first time.

One thing was the same - you had to understand Italian.

There was no English translation so we had to guess what was going on.

This scene featured one of the comical characters who was showing his appreciation of the Amazonian soldiers.

Or, it could have been something entirely different.

Oh, the birthday boy had obtained free tickets for the preview show. I have no idea where??

Seated in a balcony box, we could hear thunder booming that grew louder and louder.

Hmm, it didn't match the action on the stage so we realized there was quite a rain happening outside.

We stayed dry getting back to the car but soon pulled into the MUSC parkade for shelter.

My phone had buzzed an alert that heavy hail and 60 mph winds were about to hit.

I watched people with umbrellas - and many without - as they scampered through streets starting to flood.

If puddle-jumping ever becomes an Olympic event, Charleston would win medals.

We have lots of practice, especially on particular streets around the market and the Crosstown.

The hail did not appear so we eased out and slowly wound our way to Highway 17 South.

Ruby Tuesday has an offer of a free hamburger and piles of fries on your birthday.

We have gone there on birthdays before.

It was Happy Hour so the giant beer on tap was our choice.

This is one of the few places that still has an elaborate salad bar. Buy just the salad or - for a much lower price - add it to you entree.

While we were eating the  freebie, I looked over the bar and saw a family seated by the window.

But this was the only one with the man hoisting his baby up in the air. Several times. The baby loved it.

So we finished eating and there was a free movie we wanted to see at the IMAX.

We had about an hour to kill so we stopped at Craft Conundrum, a neat beer place next to Bi-Lo that used to be a Piggly-Wiggly in West Ashley.

I decided to suggest to the bartender that they start a tradition of giving a free beer to someone celebrating a birthday.

They agreed!

Said they already had such a free beer deal.

Wear the Viking helmet while drinking the beer and there is no charge.

I felt very Opera-like with the horned helmet on my head.

The blonde pigtails came with the hat.

Others in the room had seen all this before but I felt it was worth a picture.

From there, it was only a short drive to the IMAX for a 3-D showing of The Avengers.

Oh no, I forgot my ear plugs!

The good news is the 3-D glasses work much better now that cataract surgery eliminated my need to wearing regular glasses.

And, of course, my buddy had earned a free admission.

I pay the Senior rate but for 3-D, there's an additional $2 fee added on. His free admission saved him about $15.

The day was carefully planned to make sure we were back at my house in time to watch the final David Letterman Late Show.

In 2013, we were in New York and secured two tickets so I can proudly say "Been there, done that and have the T-shirt."

And, of course, those two tickets were free.

You had to apply months in advance and didn't really know if you were going to get them until the day before you flew up to NYC.

A bonus that day in 2013, we stopped in the Hello Deli and got a picture of Rupert Jee. And bought my dark blue t-shirt with yellow lettering.

I wore it while we watched Dave say goodbye.

Labels: Amazonian soldiers, boiled peanuts, Craft Conundrum, Eli Hyman, Hello Deli, Ruby Tuesday, Rupert Jee, The Avengers in 3-D IMAX, The Late Show with David Letterman, Viking helmet

posted by chuckography @ 11:10 AM 1 Comments

Feasting On Fish....

Like many bloggers, I often take pictures when I am served a great meal.

We move the plate around a bit to get it's "good side."

People sitting nearby probably nudge one another and say "Must be one of those bloggers."

This time, even the server at Hyman's Seafood  was a little surprised when I said "I'm not quite finished with this fried flounder."


If ever there was a time when a Kitty Bag was needed instead of a Doggie Bag, this was it.

Of course I know that fish bones could be harmful so I did not have it boxed for take away.

"There's a reason there's usually a line out front," I was told by Eli Hyman.

In addition to the tourists, Eli markets to locals and welcomes them year round. I get a happy birthday discount letter every year.

I can testify that the crab cakes are very special.

Did you know that a family member - usually Eli or 5th generation son-in-law Brad -  is there every night and goes from table to table to chat and collect feedback?

That's attention to detail.

I ate there before going to the Music Farm to see two of my favorite acts.

The Carolina Chocolate Drops and, the opener, The Two Man Gentleman Band. Both have appeared here before.

But this was the final show on the current tour and I knew it would be special.

We did NOT get to see the vibrant "barefoot dance" by Rhiannon Giddens this time.

She - obviously - was quite pregnant but assured us the baby was not due....for another 3 weeks. Yikes.

Her feet were moving around to the beat but she remained seated. And, for that, we thank you.

The group won a "Traditional Folk Album" Grammy but saw the category was then eliminated.

However, this year their new  "Leaving Eden" album has been nominated for another Grammy.

It's in a new "Best Folk" category.

I think the first time I saw the foursome was at the Cistern  Area of the College of Charleston during a Spoleto Piccolo event.

Great setting.

Great sound.

Billed as a roots band, Dom Flement gave us an excellent run on jug.

Rhiannon strummed and slapped a replica of an 1850s minstrel banjo.

This instrument was closer to the type that originated in Africa, she explained.

(Click on the photos to see more details).

The cellist in the CCD is Leyla McCalla from Jamaica and on bass and harmonica is Hubby Jenkins.

Labels: Bob Flesher replica banjos, Dom Flemont, Eli Hyman, fried whole flounder with head removed, Grammy-award winners, Greensboro NC, Hubby Jenkins, Hyman's Seafood, Leaving Eden, Leyla McCalla, Rhiannon Giddens

posted by chuckography @ 1:51 PM 1 Comments